Hong Kong singer Shirley Kwan reportedly in ICU in critical condition

Shirley Kwan is reportedly hospitalised and in critical condition.

Hong Kong media reported yesterday (Oct 7) that the 59-year-old singer was admitted to the intensive care unit for emergency treatment. The cause of her illness is not revealed.

Her father and her son Kwan Chunyin, 23, were seen waiting worriedly outside the ward. The young man, who is mostly based in the United States, reportedly looked dejected, hugging his knees and crying multiple times, and refused to leave the hospital.

He only left for a nearby eatery and returned to the hotel for a short rest after his grandfather urged him to do so.

Sources also shared with the media that Shirley's family and friends have been visiting her at the hospital, but did not bring any food, suggesting that she may need to be tube-fed.

Today, Hong Kong media reported she was sent to the hospital after fainting at home last week.

Shirley rose to fame in the 1990s and is best known for her song Happy Are Those in Love (1989). Between 1996 and 2000, she spent time away from the public eye and made a short comeback in 2001 before moving to Canada in 2002 after she got pregnant out of wedlock. She disclosed in 2014 that her son's father is a religious teacher from Bhutan.

When she returned to the music scene in 2005, her popularity had dwindled. She announced her retirement from the entertainment industry in 2020.

Shirley had also been involved in a series of troubles in the 2010s. In 2012, she posted a suicide note on her Facebook account, writing that she "does not want to live anymore" and became uncontactable. She only called her younger sister 36 hours later to assure her that she was safe.

Media also reported in 2016 that Shirley was hospitalised after being rescued from the waters off Discovery Bay in Hong Kong. The police classified the case as a "person in distress". Sources revealed to the media then that Shirley had been unhappy with work and decided to go for a swim in the sea but when she refused to come back to shore, the police were contacted.

She told the media later that she wasn't in distress and had fallen while walking on the beach after some drinks.

The following year, Shirley was charged with one count of intimidation and assault for hitting and threatening to "chop" a staff at Auberge Discovery Bay hotel over unpaid bills. She was fined HK$2,000 (S$300) and barred from entering the hotel.

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yeo.shuhui@asiaone.com